Many prior art techniques and systems are known for massaging the human hand and foot. Most typically, such massage is accomplished through direct engagement and manipulation by fingers. It is also known to use tools or implements to accomplish the massage. The massage can be of a rather general nature wherein the hand or foot is worked over its entirety or of a more specialized nature wherein certain established points or locations on the hand or foot have pressure applied thereto for therapeutic effect.
Exemplary or this of this latter type of specialized massage is that incorporating the teachings of reflexology wherein reflex points or locations on hands and feet are identified and pressure applied thereto by direct manual massage or by manipulated hand-held tools.
It is, of course, well known to immerse human extremities in whirl pool baths or the like wherein the entire extremity is engaged by rapidly moving water or other liquid. By their very nature, such systems do not selectively apply pressure at specific locations on a hand or foot. Thus, the therapeutic effect of prior art apparatus employing the immersion principle is somewhat limited. Generally representative of immersion type systems is the foot bath disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,529, issued Nov. 4, 1986.
Lavage or scrubbing systems, often designated for use by surgeons or other medical professionals, are also known in the prior art. Exemplary of these are the devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,806, issued Sep. 11, 1973 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,987, issued Nov. 11, 1975. While such arrangements employ water jets to apply liquid to an extremity, they are, in effect, immersion systems wherein the extremity is randomly positioned relative to the jets and pressure is not applied to any particular locations on the extremity. It is the object of these prior art devices to completely wash or immerse the extremity for scrubbing purposes. There is no provision for directing discrete jets at particular locations on the extremity, which is highly desirable, for example, when practicing reflexology or related therapeutic techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,201, issued Jun. 26, 1973, discloses foot care apparatus wherein feet may be massaged, simultaneously cleaned, and treated with a disinfecting or medicinal substance. Spray nozzles are utilized to direct a liquid against the foot, but fluid application is essentially random, with no attempt being made to direct the jets to particular locations on the foot. By contrast, the present invention provides for the specific placement of an extremity relative to jet apertures formed in the walls of the apparatus cabinet structure. Utilization of the cabinet walls to define the apertures as well as the particular extremity positioning means employed in the present system allows for more accurate impingement of the jet streams and assures that the desired areas of the entire extremity can be impacted and treated.
A search of the prior art also located the following patents, which are of general interest: U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,010, issued Jun. 2, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,359, issued Oct. 12, 1982, U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,738, issued Nov. 18, 1969, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,459, issued May 7, 1963.